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Tuesday, November 22, 2011

This flavorful, healthy side dish, which calls for just 2 Tablespoons of butter and 2 Tablespoons of milk or cream, is low fat, low carb, easy to make, and really hard to stop eating. You can dress it up in all sorts of ways—with sour cream and dill, cheddar and chives, even lemon juice and baby arugula—or just enjoy it plain.

"I've decided that the cauliflower must go through some sort of magical transformation when it's puréed, bringing out more of the flavor."

"I think maybe it's the garlic."

"I think I should have cooked both heads of cauliflower."

Until I discovered and fell in love with kohlrabi purée several years ago, the only vegetables I'd mashed up were potatoes and things with the potatoes, like carrots and turnips (both of these combinations are wonderful). But it turns out there's a whole delicious world of versatile vegetable purées out there. My food processor is my new best friend.

One of the most popular puréed vegetables is cauliflower, which is often called mashed cauliflower and is usually touted as a low carb substitute for mashed potatoes, especially around Thanksgiving. But this really isn't fair to the cauliflower purée. It tastes so good it shouldn't be considered a stand-in or alternative to anything.

If you have trouble eating enough fresh vegetables in autumn and winter, try puréeing them. They taste great, and the volume really shrinks down. I had no idea it was so easy to devour an entire head of cauliflower. I've eaten more cauliflower in the past three years I have than during the rest of my entire life.

Recipes for mashed cauliflower abound, calling for everything from chicken stock and Greek yogurt to a stick of butter and a cup of heavy cream. I went the simple route, which also happens to be low fat and healthy—but doesn't taste like diet food.

I try to avoid boiling vegetables, preferring instead to use what I call the 'steam cheat' method, where you heat a small amount of water in the bottom of the cooking pot and pile the vegetables on top. Of course you can also use a steamer basket to cook your cauliflower.

This is one of those dishes that truly is more than the sum of its parts. It's also a great way to use up that less than perfect head of cauliflower forgotten in the back of the fridge. The fresh garlic mellows as it simmers in the water and adds a nice flavor.

You can increase the butter and/or cream if you like, but it really isn't necessary. You can also gussy up the basic recipe in all sorts of ways (see suggestions below), but the plain version is still my favorite. A close second is the arugula and sour cream variation (instructions below), which reminds me of creamed spinach.

As always, I urge you to seek out local and organic ingredients; they really do make a difference.

1 head cauliflower (about 2¼ pounds before trimming), cored and cut into fairly small pieces

2 cloves garlic (or more to taste), sliced into 2 to 4 pieces each

2 Tablespoons organic butter

2 Tablespoons milk or cream

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground pepper

Optional additions:

Baby arugula (see instructions below)

Fresh lemon juice

Sour cream

Fresh or dried dill

Snipped fresh chives

Finely chopped scallions (green onions)

Finely grated cheddar cheese

Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

A spoonful or two of your favorite marinara sauce

Add a scant inch of water to a 4-quart pot with a tight fitting lid. (If the pot is larger, the cauliflower will all be under water, and you'll be boiling rather than steaming it). Drop the sliced garlic in the water and add the cauliflower.

Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer, with the lid on, until the cauliflower is very tender, about 15 minutes. (Alternatively, you can cook the cauliflower and garlic in a steamer basket.)

Drain the cauliflower and garlic into a colander (or fish it out of the pot with a slotted spoon) and put it in the bowl of a food processor (I love my KitchenAid 12-Cup Food Processor), along with the butter, milk or cream, salt. Process until smooth. Season to taste, adding a few grinds of fresh pepper if desired.

Stir in one or more of the optional additions if using; dill and sour cream are really good, as are cheddar and chives. Serve hot.

Mashed Cauliflower with Arugula:

Using a slotted spoon, strain the cooked cauliflower and garlic from the pot (leaving the hot water in it) and process as directed above. For each 1 cup of purée, add 2 ounces (about 2 cups) of baby arugula to the pot of hot water and cook for 2 minutes. Strain and process with the cauliflower, along with 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice per each cup of purée.

If you want to make the whole batch with arugula, just add it to the pot with the cauliflower during the last 2 minutes of cooking. If you add a little sour cream to this version, it tastes similar to creamed spinach.

I have a diabetic husband and this is one of the dishes I make but mine is a variation on your theme I nicknamed Cauliflash. I prepare and cook a head of cauliflower and use two small, just cooked potatoes. I toss them in the food processor with butter and milk and then at a couple of tablespoons of horseradish. The consistency is perfect as is the flavor.We love these and they are much more healthy for my hubby.

Try roasting the cauliflower rather than steaming....the roasting process (as I'm sure you know) does glorious things to veggies, bringing out their natural sugars. I find the flavor to be much deeper and more complex if I roast --both the cauliflower and garlic-- than steam or boil. Give it a try!

yes about the roasting of the veggies. I call it "a la pilaf". you sauté the veggies in a little bit of oil, and when everything is hot, hot, you add a little bit of water. It boils immediately. put a lid for a few minutes, until all liquid is evaporated. Quick and tasty.

Thanks Susan! This simple recipe was great---- the cauliflower/garlic flavor was addicting! Like you said, i wish i had made two heads. The Brussels Sprouts were good too and the Raspberry Almond Bars are always a hit.I appreciate your simple, taste tested, farmgirl -approved recipes. Hope you all had a good day at the farm.

December 2015 update: Hi! For some reason I can't figure out, Blogger hasn't been letting me leave comments on my own blog (!) for the last several months, so I've been unable to respond to your comments and questions. My apologies for any inconvenience! You're always welcome to email me: farmgirlfare AT gmail DOT com.

Hi! Thanks for visiting Farmgirl Fare and taking the time to write. While I'm not always able to reply to every comment, I receive and enjoy reading them all.

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